Thursday, February 10, 2011

Tunisia: President promises of social negotiations

These negotiations will be the best social framework of dialogue and consultation to address the social situation of people of all categories and in all sectors, "said Fouad Mebazaa Wednesday night. This is the first time he spoke directly to Tunisians since taking office Jan. 15, after the flight abroad of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Wednesday night, the Tunisian president Acting Fouad Mebazaa, announced the opening "soon" from "social negotiations at the national level" in a speech on national television just hours after being invested with emergency powers by the Parliament. "These negotiations will be the best social framework for dialogue and consultation to address the social situation of people of all categories and in all sectors," said Mebazaa, who called his compatriots to "be patient". "Your requests are legitimate, but you must understand the difficult situation the country faces," he said, while the government of Mohammed Ghannouchi has been facing two weeks of social tensions throughout the country. "Achieving the aspirations of the people" In the morning, the Senate Tunisia had unanimously adopted a law allowing interim president to rule by decree-laws, bypassing the bicameral Parliament inherited from the Ben Ali. "The Senate vote is very important. It will help us achieve the aspirations of the people and implement initiatives taken by the caretaker government, mainly the general amnesty law," said Fouad Mebazaa. "We will remain faithful to the principles of the revolution and determined to fulfill the hopes of youth," he stressed, saying that the government registered "remarkable progress despite a difficult climate." At the opening of the debate Wednesday, Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi had urged the House of Councillors (Senate) to vote yes to allow the government to work "and asked for time to a population that apparently lost patience, speaking of" explosion Social. A young man was slightly wounded in central Tunis by a bullet that ricocheted off while soldiers were trying to funnel hundreds of people to a welfare office to receive 30 dinars to 150 dinars (15.5 to 78 euros). Already on Tuesday, between 400 and 500 people stormed the governorate in the heart of the capital to demand work and support. Mr Ghannouchi also announced the legalization "in a few days' training under Ben Ali banned who made the request, which include the Islamist movement Ennahda Rached Ghannouchi. The authorities have announced presidential and legislative elections in six months, without giving a specific date, while more and more voices to try this time untenable. Inside the country, his government remains under severe pressure since he replaced a week ago the 24 regional governors.